Kabarole Top Environment Degraders Named*

*By Steven Ainganiza  29/05/2013 *

*Fort Portal*

Kabarole Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) Association (KANCA) has finally named the top
government officials and wealth people who have degraded the environment.

The victims are reported to have encroached the banks of River Mpanga,
swamps and forests in Kabarole district by establishing animal farms,
commercial buildings and crop gardens among other economic activities.

The named officials are Mrs Jean Kaliba the Resident District Commissioner
(RDC) Hoima who destroyed wetlands in Bunyangabu,Dr Abigaba Salvatory  the
District veterinary Officer (DVO) Kabarole destroyed wetlands in Karago
town council, Eli Nyakana a business man in Bukuku sub county, Richard
Nyakana former secretary for production and Natural Resources Kabarole is
purported to have destroyed wetlands in in Busoro sub county , Musuga
Charles Kamurasi of Tooro Kingdom destroyed wetlands in Karambi sub county,
George Begumisa an entrepreneur destroyed wetlands in Rubingo parish
Karambi and the owner of Allan’s Resort Maguru South Division Fort Portal.

The report was released by Peter Byakuyamba the research and Advocacy
officer KANCA during a community based monitoring model on improving
accountability and service delivery in the environment sector held at
Kagote SDA hall West division Fort Portal municipality on Wednesday.

Byakuyamba disclosed that these top government and wealth officials have
destroyed the environment through establishing farms in the swamps and
wetlands, planted eucalyptus trees in wetlands and built commercial houses
in different parts of the district when the NEMA and district environment
officials are looking.

As a result, Byakuyamba says the climate has changed and instead of
experiencing two heavy rainy seasons, they are experiencing drought.

Florence Kadoma, the secretary for production and Natural resources
Kabarole explains that they wrote NEMA asking them to take immediate action
and halt the activities but no action has been made yet.

Perezi Mwebesa the Deputy CAO wonders why top district officials are
engaged in land degradation and added that the officials will be taken to
the office of the IGG for investigations.

Elijah Biryabalema deputy RDC however observed the practice is rampant
because the wealth people are conniving with the district technocrats and
NEMA officials.

He notes that if NEMA and Kabarole district do not intervene and take
action against such encroachers we are heading to experiencing drought,
floods among other disasters due to global warming.

Biryabarema tasked the district leaders to empower the office of the
environment and cautioned the officials to do their work professionally to
save the environment from massive destruction.

Fort Portal Hospital Staff To Resume Strike On 4th June Over Delayed Payments*

*By Steven Ainganiza     28/05/2013  *

*Fort Portal*

Tension is high at Fort Portal regional referral hospital as the hospital
staff have resolved to resume their strike on 4th June, 2013 should the
government fails to pay their sallies and increase their payment.

On Thursday 16th May, the hospital workers went on a sit down strike
protesting government failure to pay their salaries for the past two months
and increasing their pay leaving hundreds of the patients stranded.

But on Monday last week Health workers called off their strike after
meeting the hospital administrators and promised them that their salaries
shall be paid by 27th May.

However waiting for their salaries on the accounts in vain, the hospital
administration led by the hospital Director Dr.Charles Olaro, Hon.Alex
Ruhunda MP Fort Portal and chairperson of the hospital Management Board Mr.
Edison Kiraso held an emergence meeting with the health workers.

After long deliberations, the staff upheld their earlier resolution of
Monday 20th May with minor amendments. They said the count down for the
dates for industrial action now begins on 27th May, 2013 and ends on
3rdJune if their April and May salaries are not paid.

A press release dated 27th May 2013 signed by Dr.John Mali chairman of
Uganda Medical Workers’ Union Fort portal branch and Dr.Jotham Bamuhinga
the secretary indicates that the industrial action starts on 4th June since
3rd June is martyrs day and public holiday.

It also states that, much as they also advocate for the pay raise, their
present cause was only limited to non-payments of their meager salaries.
The statement added that before 4th June, the rest of the days workers will
report and work normally.

According to the release, the medics resolved that a skeletal staff
comprising the hospital administrators, the Union leaders, senior members
of the hospital within the salary scale of U1 and U2 shall remain at the
facility only to handle the emergencies.

It was also resolved that the hospital Director Dr.Charles Olaro informs
the concerned relevant authorities in the district and the permanent
secretary in the ministry of health the position of the workers.

The local leaders like the RDC, District Police Commander, District health
Officer, LC5 chairperson among others be informed by the UMWU.

Alex Ruhunda the MP Fort Portal advised the workers to calm as the
government looks at increasing their pay.

He said that striking was not the only solution but rather focus at lasting
solutions like forming a SACCO where they can save and borrow money when
there are salary delays.

On Monday 20th May, the administrator held a meeting with the striking
workers and convinced them to call off the strike after giving each worker
shs50, 000 to go and solve the daily needs as they wait for their salaries.

The workers went on strike protesting the delayed salaries and missing on
the payroll.

Among other demands, the striking workers wanted to be offered a special
unit at the facility where they will be admitted and treated in a special
manner as government workers.

They accused the ministry of public service for the mistreatment for not
listening to their grievances despite several complaints.

They also demanded the government to give them special motivation by giving
them lunch, transport, accommodation among others and increasing their
salaries depending on the workload or duties performed.

Fort Portal referral hospital serves patients from the districts of
Kabarole the horst, Kasese, Ntoroko,Bundibugyo,Kamwenge, Kyenjojo,Kyegegwa
and sometimes Kibaale.

According to Dr.Olaro, the hospital receives over 1000 patients a day.

FORT PORTAL BENEFITS UNDER UGANDA SUPPORT TO MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT -USMID DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Fort Portal Municipal Council  is to benefit from the 150,000,000U$ that the government of Uganda got from the World Bank to work on infrastructure under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure development-USMID in the 14 Municipalities. Fort Portal was allocated 10,000,000U$ which is equivalent to about 26,500,000,000UGX. While featuring on the Voice Of Tooro  fm in Fort Portal,  the town clerk F/Portal Municipality Lwanga Edward said under the 5 year project, they will work on Mugunu lorry/Bus park among others as well as Kaboyo, Rukidi III and Nyakaana roads and Kabundaire abattoir (Rufura) located in Kabundaire West division. The town clerk says the development program will get underway in the next Financial year 2013/14 which begins in July 2013. Two officials from the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban development Miriam Kiconco and Rosemary Mukite said the government got funding from the World Bank to improve on infrastructure in the major towns in the Country as one way of catering for the increasing population growth due to Rural-Urban migration but hastened to add they will in future extend such development to other townships like the the town council and town boards.
 The program has a component of the citizens to act as watch dog under the municipal development Forum which is headed by Engineer David Baguma Mwesige as President.Engineer Mwesige who was also on the radio talk show together with the deputy mayor Margaret Kihika Abwooli, urged the people to get involved in the development plan by coming up with more ideas in order to be part and parcel of the development program. The host/moderator of the program Abbooki Bamanyisa aka Ambassador asked the town clerk about the lack of streetlights in Fort Portal which has been a security threat following an incident in which a gun man shot and injured a Man in his Mobile Money kiosk at around 8pm one year ago. Both the deputy mayor and the Town Clerk admitted that the town lacks street lights but stressed that First things first and that the road network takes first priority. The host asked the town clerk if part of the money could be used to resume construction of  Fort Portal Municipal Council chambers(hqtr)? The chambers or building has stalled after completing the foundation with 600,000,000UGX resources from disposal of the Municipal Council Social hall and the dilapidated former town clerk residential house in Boma#